Big Sky Astronomical Society

We are pleased to announce that our Facility Enhancement Project has been expanded and will continue in 2011. This year, we will see Phase 1 (Security Fence) completed and Phase 2 of the project will begin. The second phase will involve the construction of a small shed that will be equipped with solar panels on the outside and deep-cycle lead-acid batteries on the inside. This will allow us to generate almost half a kilowatt of electricity on sunny days. The electricity will be stored in the batteries and used to power our telescope and computers at night. The diagram below is an artist's conception of what the shed will look like. The solar panels will be attached to the south-facing wall and this wall will be angled to capture the maximum amount of sunlight on mid-autumn and mid-winter days.

Phase 2 of our Facility Enhancement Project - code named "Green Universe" - has been made possible by a grant from the Government of Alberta through the Community Facility Enhancement Program (CFEP). This grant, in the amount of $10,268 will allow us to have an environmentally friendly source of electricity for many years to come.

Thank you!